The Hobbit: Pictures from both of the sequels to the trilogy!

The reviews on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey are out, and they’ve been all over the place. No one is outright hating the movie, or it’s choice to be shot in 48fps; but there is a lot of talk on how the movie is too long and has too many references to Lord of the Rings. I’m sorry, when you found out that the movie would be stretched to three films, WHAT ELSE DID YOU EXPECT? It has to be filled with SOMETHING!

I’m perfectly fine with seeing characters from the sequel films getting thrown into these prequels. It’ll be a nice bridge along the Tolkien gap. Plus, with it being Peter Jackson films, I’m sure it will be a lot more satisfying than the Star Wars sequels. Take a look below for your first preview of one of the most beloved LOTR characters, Legolas. He’s with Bard the Bowman discussing his elvish eyes. One thing of note, the picture is from The Hobbit: There and Back Again, which is the third film in the series. Why are they releasing the still now? That I’m not entirely sure, but I’m excited nonetheless.

Peter Jackson explained the reason behind including Legolas in the Hobbit films, saying:

“He’s [elven king] Thranduil’s son, and Thranduil is one of the characters in ‘The Hobbit,’ and because elves are immortal, it makes sense Legolas would be part of the sequence in the Woodland Realm.”

Jackson later went on to release his first picture from The Desolation of Smaug as well. Looks like Bilbo has found himself a Dragon’s worth of Treasure! So check that out below as well!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters December 14th, 2012. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters December 13th, 2013. And finally, The Hobbit: There and Back Again hits theaters July 18th, 2014.